Spinach Pasta with Simple Baked Cod and Agrodolce
Bright green spinach pasta is topped with simple garlic and lemon marinated baked cod and covered in Agrodolce, a colorful, sweet and sour Italian condiment that turns a simple meal of pasta and fish into a gourmet feast.
I just LOVE all the color in this dish. If it didn’t taste so fantastic, I’d say it’s too pretty to eat. But, you’re going to want to eat this. Every. Last. Bite.
First, let me say that homemade spinach pasta is optional. My friend Judy got me hooked on pasta making, and when I have time, I’m all about it. But, a good quality package of fettuccini will work just fine and is what I reach for on most weeknights.
If you can find spinach flavored pasta, get it for no other reason than it’s just so pretty. If your local market only carries regular fettuccini, no worries. This dish will taste just as delicious with regular pasta and still look perfectly lovely.
The second thing I want to tell you is that even though this dish looks like something you’d get at a three star restaurant, it’s ridiculously fast and easy. Brush some cod with lemon zest, garlic, and oil and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so while you make the agrodolce. Bake the cod, boil the pasta, and you’re done.
A big shoutout to Beth Bowman of Bowman Ceramics for the handmade plates in these pictures.
Meal Plans that Include Spinach Pasta with Baked Cod and Agrodolce:
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Spinach Pasta with Baked Cod and Agrodolce
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
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Bright green spinach pasta is topped with simple garlic and lemon marinated baked cod and covered in Agrodolce, a colorful, sweet and sour Italian condiment that turns a simple meal of pasta and fish into a gourmet feast.
Tonight’s meal might look like something served up at a 3-star restaurant, but it’s incredibly easy and will take less than 1-hour unless you’re making homemade spinach pasta. My friend Judy got me hooked on pasta making and when I have a couple of extra hours in the afternoon, I find it an immensely satisfying activity. Adding some cooked spinach to the dough makes a gorgeously vibrant green dough and adds some subtle flavor. If making homemade pasta isn’t your idea of a fun afternoon, using a package of dried fettuccini is more than acceptable. If your market carries spinach fettuccini, use that. If not, just use plain.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 – 2 lbs cod
- 1 recipe Agrodolce: Use unseasoned rice vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and add 1 diced red pepper.
- 1 lb fresh homemade spinach fettuccini – OR – 12 oz dried spinach fettuccini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil to a small bowl and stir to mix.
- Lay the cod in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and smear it with the garlic, lemon, olive oil mixture. Sprinkle the surface of the fish with salt and pepper, and scatter the parsley over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours.
- While the fish marinates, make the agrodolce with the following substitutions and additions: Use unseasoned rice vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Add 1 red pepper, seeds removed and diced.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the fish and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the inside of the fish registers at 145 degrees on a kitchen thermometer, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- While the fish bakes, get a large pot of water and a couple teaspoons of salt boiling on the stovetop. If using dried pasta, cook according to the package instructions. If using fresh pasta, cook for only 30 seconds to 1 minute in the boiling water. Pour the pasta into a calendar set inside the sink. Drain then pour into a serving dish and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice.
- Serve plates of pasta topped with a piece of cod and spoonfuls of agrodolce.
Just made this last night. Sooooo delicious. First of all Agrodolce is a game changer that elevates anything it’s put on. With zero guilt. I only had 8 oz. of spinach but it was fabulous. Even non-spinach-lovers love it, because the spinach taste does not overpower. Love the addition of spices to the spinach mix. Have to admit I made the fish differently (sole, simply fried) but it all worked together. That’s what I love about these recipes. They are endlessly “tweakable.”
★★★★★